The World in Silver
by durarariot
Summary: The Britannian Empire thought they had created a world of gold, but it was only silver at best. DISCLAIMER: I don't own Code Geass, but if I did that would be really neat.
1. Round 01: The Beginning

My name is Asami Kururugi. I am the daughter of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi and sister of Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi, former Knight to Princess Euphemia li Britannia. I love him, but all the while I begrudge his decision to fight for Britannia in hopes of making things peaceful again. How could someone truly believe living under the cruel Britannian Empire was any better than our nation before it all?

This is my story, my grudge, my twisted life. It all began when our father died, slain by my brother's own hand.

I was only 9 years old, and it was terrifying.

Standing outside the small, quaint house, I crouched down as sobs racked my body. Father was shouting at my big brother and I wanted it to stop, but I couldn't do anything out of fear. It had a vice grip on me, so I had just cried and run off—after Suzaku stabbed him. When I heard my father stop shouting, and his large body hit the ground, I was paralyzed. But then I screamed, a scream in sync with my brother's, and I was off as fast as my tiny legs could take me.

I tired fairly fast, and passed out somewhere, I don't remember where exactly. When I woke up, I found myself in the care of a Britannian soldier, along with my older brother, who looked as if he hadn't slept for a single minute, and as if he had seen war...which funny enough, happened not long at all after that.

The soldier asked if we had anywhere to go and Suzaku violently shook his head. Even then I understood his reluctance. I wouldn't have gone back to that house for all the power in the world. So the soldier pulled some strings and we were provided housing by the Empire, for some odd, unexpected reason. It really felt like they were good, back then. But the years passed, and when Suzaku turned 15, he began some sort of training for something he wouldn't tell me about. When all of those practices and lessons were over, he confided that he was going to fight for the Empire.

"But why, big brother? Aren't they the bad guys?"

"No, Asami. Why would you think that?"

"Because they're killing all the Japanese. We're Japanese. I don't want you to be hurt, and if you fight you'll be hurt."

He smiled. "We're honorary Britannians now. And I won't get hurt at all. I think they're considering allowing me to pilot a Knightmare Frame. At least to get a feel for it."

All I could do was look down at my feet with an uneasy feeling. It wasn't until I was 15 that I began to feel rage rumbling and attempting to gain its freedom in the form of what would be considered by the soldiers merely teenage rebellion.

On my 15th birthday, I was visited by the sight of a bright red-haired guy. He looked about my age, but at the same time almost ageless. I say visited; in reality he was standing across the street as I walked alone, staring right at me. I looked away for a moment, and in that instant he managed to sneak up behind me.

"Boo," he whispered.

I whirled around, tensing up. "Wh-what do you want? If it's money, you can have it-"

"No, no. That's not it at all." He grabbed my arm and pulled me into an alley. "I've seen you here a couple times. I get the feeling you must lead a rough life to always be alone, and you look pretty sad as well."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't make stupid assumptions about a girl you've been stalking, you creep."

"I'm not a creep. I'm just an immortal being who possesses the ability to grant you a power to change your position."

"Yeah, right."

His expression was rather impassive, but his lips turned up in a small smirk. "It's true. If you're looking for someone to thank, you can call me N.N."

My eyes widened as he grabbed my hand and images flowed through my mind. When it was over I felt stronger somehow. Had he really given me some kind of power? This N...2... "So...what can I do? Melt steel? Move things with my mind?"

"Concentrate on someone to figure that out." I of course looked at him, and he laughed, probably having expected it. "It won't affect me."

So I glanced over at a scowling woman heading out of a shop. She screeched and fell to her knees. I lost my focus in surprise. The woman wobbled back up slowly, looking around, and I paid her no more attention. "I can hurt others? That's my power?"

"Isn't there anyone you want to see in pain? The Emperor, perhaps?" I stared him down evenly, but he was right. If I had the chance, I would cause that tyrant so much pain... He continued, "I'll need to be with you now, to see this contract through. Lead the way, my dear."

"Wait, come home with me? I've barely just met you! And don't call me that."

"What shall I call you, then?"

I hesitated, but thought it only fair to give him my name in exchange for this power, despite the fact that he hadn't given me a real name. Did he really go by his initials? "Asami. Asami Kururugi."

"Well then, Miss Kururugi, shall we?"

"I can't take you to my home!" I sputtered.

"Why not? Is a person who gave you a powerful ability not trustworthy enough? Without me our contract cannot be fulfilled."

"What contract?"

"That is rather classified."

"I-it's a contract! I deserve to know what I signed up for-!"

He chuckled. "Most people never completely figure out what it is they sign up for. However I assure you you'll be fine whether or not you know."

"...All right. I'm sure there's some stupid consequence if I don't let this contract be finished, isn't there?" I sighed. "Follow me. You'll have to hide, my brother wouldn't take too kindly to a strange guy in my room."

"Brother, I'm home." Silence greeted me and my new companion, if you could call him that. I led him into my room. "He's never here when I want him to be..."

"Sounds like your brother is quite the reliable one."

I rolled my eyes. "A reliable traitor is more like it."

"Oh?"

I looked away, irritation giving way to the start of a headache. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Very well."

"Asami?" Suzaku's voice floated closer. "Was that someone else I just heard with you?"

"We've got two options," I said quietly. "You can hide or we can tell him so we don't have to worry about keeping you a secret."

N.N. raised his eyebrows, still impassive. "Wouldn't it best to keep me a secret?"

"I suppose so. Get in the closet quickly."

Suzaku poked his head around the doorframe as N.N. slid into the closet silently. "I thought I heard someone in here..."

I smiled and shook my head. "Nope, just the TV." Which I had flipped on and paused faster than I would have on any other day, considering my dislike for the programs meant for Britannian viewers.

"I see. Well, I have a surprise announcement to make, so why don't you come out and I'll make us some dinner?"

"Brother, you know you don't have to cook for us all the time..." _Especially considering you sometimes burn the food, _I thought, mentally laughing.

"It's okay, I like it. It makes me feel less horrible for never spending time with you."

_Maybe if you weren't off fighting on the wrong side, you'd be able to acknowledge me more, huh? If you really were accepting of a "peaceful" future under their rule, you wouldn't be fighting at all, would you?_

I forced another smile, softening my glare as I remembered my new power with alarm. As much as I disagreed with him, I would never hurt him. He was all I had left in this dying world.


	2. Round 02: To Change the World

"Ashford Academy? Sounds just like a school funded by the Britannians, all right..."

"It'll be fun, Asami. They've allowed us to go there, and besides, I thought you liked learning."

"I do," I murmured, picking absently at my food. _I just don't like those pretentious Britannians._

He reassured me, knowing my deeper anxieties well. "If you're worried they won't like you, don't be. We'll fit right in and no one has to know we're Elevens."

I stiffened up. "Suzaku, we're not Elevens. We're Japanese, damn it. How does being referred to as a number not bother you?"

He looked down. "I'm sorry. Please, sis. It'll be good for you to get out of the house and do something while I'm away. I can go, too, and try to loosen up my schedule."

"Maybe so," I murmured, finishing off the meal. But the thought of being able to go to school, even if it was a Britannian one, with my brother lifted the discontent feeling in my heart.

After dinner, N.N. strolled towards me as I typed away on my laptop. "This age holds some other, strange meaning for coming out of the closet, don't you?"

I laughed. "Yeah, but if you're not familiar with this generation you wouldn't understand it much." I found myself surprised somehow. Was he really immortal? How long had he lived?

"Doing some research on a Britannian academy, I see."

Nodding, I turned to him. "N.N., can I ask some questions?"

"You just asked one, so I don't see why not."

I faked a scowl. "That didn't count. What is this power you've given me, and how does it work?"

"It's called Geass, and it can take several different forms depending on the mentality of the user. It seems yours allows you to cause pain, or perhaps because Geass is typically linked to the mind, it causes others to merely believe they are in pain."

My laptop's hum seemed loud in the silence. "Why me?"

He shrugged slightly. "My belief is that the least happy people have the potential to be the most successful."

I felt my fingers twitch slightly. Who was he to assume I was unsatisfied with my life? "Interesting theory. Is there any limit on my, um, Geass?"

"Who can say for sure? You'll have to test it yourself."

"So you don't know everything about it."

"Like I stated previously, Geass can possess a variety of abilities. I know one who can read minds, as well as one who can make time halt. My understanding is merely that it is a mental ability, and it has proven fairly easy to control."

"Then... I won't end up accidentally using it, will I?"

"The time might come when you lose control for a while, possibly longer than that, but for now there's nothing to worry about."

"Okay," I yawned. "I'm really tired, so as long as you don't for some reason run out on me during the night, I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Sweet dreams, Asami."

The next morning, the teacher announced our arrival with so much enthusiasm the class forgot to be happy about it. (Although I probably wouldn't have been thrilled anyway.) "All right, everyone. Today we welcome two new students, honorary Britannians Suzaku and Asami Kururugi."

We were met with murmurs, mostly pertaining to our late father's status as former prime minister. Suzaku gave a nervous smile, but I stood motionless. ...Except for glancing at a student who called us Elevens, promptly sending a teensy-weensy pain through his body. He yelped and looked around, confused. Don't blame me, it's only self-defense, am I right? The teacher directed us to sit in the empty seats behind and to the right of a student named Lelouch, and as my eyes fell upon him I realized why the name sounded familiar.

A few months before my father died and before the fighting, two of the heirs to the throne had been outcast. Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia had been sent to our father as political prisoners after their exile, and we had befriended them fairly quickly. I cast him a warm smile, genuinely and pleasantly surprised to see my old friend here at a school of which I felt the need to be wary.

Class went on and ended, and as my brother and I descended the stairs out of the school, some of the students had assembled there and greeted us brightly. Tables had been set up, and they scrambled to finish what preparations they were working on.

"What's all this?" Suzaku wondered aloud.

"My name is Milly, but you may call me Madame President! I'm the President of the student council, and we absolutely had to welcome such wonderful new students!"

"You didn't have to go to such trouble," Suzaku laughed sheepishly.

"Nonsense!" Milly cheered. "Now then, as per school rules, you two must join a club, and we would be more than happy to have you, isn't that right?"

A blue-haired student grinned at us. "I'm Rivalz."

The redhead standing nearest to him smiled. "I'm Shirley, and this is Nina." Nina smiled and looked down.

Milly gestured to the two we had already met. "Oh, and these two are Lelouch and-"

"Lelouch and Nunnally," I finished. "We're well acquainted."

"Old friends?" She smiled as Suzaku nodded. "Great! Now what are we waiting for? Let's get this welcome party going!"

After the party we returned home and I flopped on my bed, almost forgetting about the strange flame-haired immortal until I jumped a foot back off the bed when I noticed him lounging in the chair by my computer.

He smirked. "How was that academy? Meet anyone interesting?"

"Well, it could've been worse. The student council really seems to enjoy new faces and making others feel happy and like they fit in. An old friend of ours is attending, too."

"Hmm?"

I still didn't fully trust him, but I saw no harm in sharing trivial details. "His name is Lelouch, and he came to us a while before all the invading and fighting. My brother didn't take too nicely to him at first because he's Britannian, but they became best friends and I came to care for him as one of my closest, and really only, friends."

"How touching," N.N. muttered, not uninterested but more, it seemed, in thought.

"So can you tell me more about those others with Geass you mentioned?"

"All I'll say is that one is an unfortunately unnatural case, another somewhat hopeless..."

"Are there others like you?"

"Who can grant Geass? Only two, as far as I'm aware. My kind were mistreated and slaughtered."

I stood up, walking to the mirror. "Is there any visible sign when you use-"

"I'd be careful," he warned. "You could end up using your Geass on yourself."

"Oh! I hadn't even considered that," I chuckled. "But as I was saying, is there any visible sign when you use Geass?"

"Not to your average human. I can't say for sure, but I do believe those with Geass can see it. And I, of course. Basically," he rolled up a sleeve, revealing a symbol on his wrist, "this sigil appears on the eye, one or both, depending on how developed the ability. Although, should it appear on both eyes, it begins to get to the point where it is uncontrollable. But as I have said, we needn't worry about that until later, probably around the time you and I complete our contract."

"Why won't you tell me about this contract? How am I supposed to fulfill it if I don't know what to do?"

He was quiet a moment. "If you really must know... I want to see the world change."

My eyes widened. "Change? But...how can I change the world?"

He smiled mysteriously. "I would not have picked you had I not thought you could accomplish it."

I would have asked more but my brother called me out for dinner. The meal was silent as I contemplated N.N.'s contract and the faith he had that I, one single Japanese teenager, could change the whole world. _For better, or for worse...? __  
_


	3. Round 03: The Vague Vigilante

**First, I'd like to say I'm sorry this is kinda late! Almost a whole week... Hahaha... I've been feeling a little under the weather, and I've had a bit more homework than usual, and on top of that my mom tends to jack my laptop because hers broke. Aha, oh well. Without further ado, here's the third (albeit kind of short) chapter! Please enjoy!**

**Also, I figure I might put chapter 4 up this weekend to add suspense, because if I stick to Thursday updates, it won't be suspenseful enough. Besides, where's the fun in updating 2 days in a row? Stay tuned, my lovely fans!**

The weekend came around, but I felt it would be uneventful. Suzaku had left after a call from Cecile and Lloyd, so it was just me and N.N. for the day. I scrolled through the channels for something to keep me occupied, lying idly on the couch.

"Huh...? Who's this guy?" I stopped clicking away, seeing a masked man who apparently called himself Zero.

"I aim to better the world, and that starts with eliminating the oppression of the Britannian Empire..." He went on for a while, but I found myself distracted and stood up, stretching my arms.

"Someone actually rebelling against the Empire... I envy his courage. But what can he possibly do? He's just some guy in a costume, with a fake identity and a fake bravado to match..."

N.N. looked over at me, popping some grapes into his mouth. "Who can say for sure? He may prove to be the hero Japan needs, and if that should be the case, he'd soon gain an army. Even small numbers can be victorious if the leader so has the power."

I chuckled. "We sure are putting a lot of thought into some cocky vigilante, aren't we?"

"What can bring about the most change is often overlooked," he responded.

"Well, whatever. You want to go out and do something? You'd think I'd be more used to being home with little to do but I'm itching to get out."

"Hmm? What do you have in mind?"

Walking to the door, I shrugged. "We'll just see what fate has in store."

Once we were outside, we wandered about, murmurs of Zero popping up every now and then. I turned to talk to my immortal companion, but my eyes were quickly drawn to the sound of an angry, pained shout.

"You damn Britannian bastards! I hope that Zero really does wipe you out!"

One of the Britannians delivered a swift kick to his ribcage. "Shut up, filthy Eleven! That fool is nothing but a coward, and we'll see to it that he regrets his decision to go against the mighty Britannian Empire!"

The other Britannian sneered at the man on his knees. "It's very naïve of you to believe in someone hiding behind a mask. How can you be sure he's not trying to butter you all up? He may be a threat to the Empire, but I see no reason you should get your miserable little hopes up."

They proceeded to cackle and assault the man. I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward. "Hey, leave him alone." Three pairs of eyes fell on me, and a few surrounding stopped to see what was going on, but continued on with their business.

The taller one, who had started the beating, let out a barking laugh. "And just what are you going to do to stop us?"

"I'm glad you asked." I smirked, looking into his eyes. A triumphant feeling washed over me as his knees buckled and he grunted in pain.

The shorter one, who had a thin mustache and a snooty air about him, stared, bewildered. "Wh-what are you?! How did you do that?!"

"Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to kill him. Now, you'll go and not speak a word of this to anyone, won't you?" A quick glance around showed that no one had really been paying much attention. What was one Japanese to several haughty Britannians? The Britannian attackers, one grimacing, hurried off after casting me indignant glares.

I helped the Japanese man to his feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you." He looked suspicious and wary. "Have a nice day, miss."

I nodded cheerfully, happy with my success. "You too."

N.N. was straight-faced, but seemed almost impressed. "Well done, Asami. You see, your power isn't all bad."

An idea came to life within my head, and I looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I suppose it isn't really meant to be."


End file.
